Means and techniques for handling and dispensing fluids from large metal drums



United States Patent inventor Wallace D. Loe

' Lakeside, California Appl. No. 777,700 Filed Nov. 21, 1968 Patented Nov. 10, I970 Assignee Loe Industries a corporation of California MEANS AND TECHNIQUES FOR HANDLING AND DISPENSING FLUIDS FROM LARGE METAL DRUMS 9 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs,

Int. Cl A0lc 15/00 Field of Search 222/ i 76;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,167,682 8/1939 Samiran 222/176X 2.683,0l2 7/1954 Reinsma 280/47.26X

Primary Examiner Stanley H. Tollberg Attorney-Lyon & Lyon ABSTRACT: A wheeled vehicle supports a clamping structure to which a drum containing fluid may be clamped. A wheeled vehicle also carries fluid dispensing means connectable to the drum opening after removing the drum plug or bung. After such clamping, this clamping structure is raised to raise the drum clamped thereto from the ground a sufficient distance to allow the drum to be rotated on the vehicle 180. The clamping structure is then locked in position and the fluid dispensing means is operated to dispense fluid from the drum.

Patented Nov. 10, 1970 Sheet 1 of 3 IIIIIII v A 56- 5. BY

Pafented Nov. 10,1970

Sheet h w T 1 J.w 1

INVENTOR F76 Z mamas 0. 05

AZTJQA/EV5 MEANS AND TECHNIQUES FOR HANDLING AND DISPENSING FLUIDS FROM LARGE METAL DRUMS The present invention relates to means and techniques for dispensing fluids from containers such as, for example, large 55 gallon drums.

An object of the present invention is to provide apparatus whereby a drum may be lifted, rotated and transported to various locations at which the fluid may then be dispensed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus of this character which furnishes complete protection against contamination of the fluid being dispensed and/or stored. I

Another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for dispensing fluid from large drums in a simple, convenient manner without contamination by easy one-man operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus of this character in which the original fluid container as, for example, a 55 gallon drum may be used as a reservoir from which the fluid may be periodically dispensed as needed without contamination of the fluid.

Another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus of this character in which it is not necessary to im merse dispensing apparatus into the drum itself for dispensing fluid from the drum thereby obviating problems of contamination which otherwise might result from inserting piping into the drum.

Another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus of this character in which the vehicle frame is hollow to provide a storage reservoir for hydraulic liquids used in a hydraulic system for raising the drum above ground to allow its rotation to 180.

Another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus of this character which lends itself to the use of filters, desiccant chambers, and the like such that contamination problems are obviated.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. This invention itself, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference-to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of apparatus embodying features of the present invention in a position wherein a drum shown in phantom lines is secured in an inverted dispensing condition.

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation ofthe same.

FIG. 3 is a view in end elevation of the same.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are views taken as indicated. on corresponding lines 4-4 and 5-5 in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are views like FIG. 2 but with the apparatus shown in different positions, namely in a position preparatory to engagement with the drum and in a subsequent position wherein the drum is engaged and lifted and dispensing means are attached to the drum prior to the drum being rotated to the position shown in FIG. 2.

The apparatus is shown in relation to a 55 gallon drum 8 which initially rests on the floor or a ground plane 10 (FIG. 6) with a conventional plug or bung 11 closing a two-inch threaded opening 13.

The apparatus of the instant invention is a hand operated and towable fluid servicing unit arranged to be moved to partially embrace or straddle the drum to be connected or clamped to the drum so that the drum may then be lifted hydraulically, dispensing means connected to it and the tank then rotated through 90 or 180 where it is locked in position for dispensing the contents therefrom.

The apparatus is a wheeled vehicle having three ground engaging casters 14, 15, and 16 mounted underneath a welded tubular steel frame 18 of generally U-shaped configuration as seen in FIG. 1, the two forward casters I4, 15 being rigidly secured to frame 18 but the rear caster 16 being swiveled for 360 orientation with respect to frame 18 with its caster wheel 16A being engageable by a foot-operated locking member 20 which when actuated to locking position prevents the assembly from moving.

A towing handle or bar 22 is pivotally mounted at its low or end on the frame 18 and may be retained in a generally vol tical position by a latch structure 26. This allows the complete assembly with a full 55 gallon drum which is releasably secured thereto by means described later to be moved about by only one person.

A pair of hydraulic actuators 30. 31 have stationary portions thereof mounted on a corresponding intermediate puttion of the generally parallel legs of the U-shaped frame iii. The corresponding movable portions 30A, 31A of such actuators 30, 31, each on the ends of a pair of pistons 30B and 315 respectively, rotatably support a drum clamping structure having the general reference numeral 36.

Such drum clamping structure 36 involves six vertically extending spaced strap members or bars 36 to the ends of which are secured a pair of arcuate horizontally extending strap members 38. The foremost pair of straps 36 carry a stub shaft 36E and 36F respectively (FIG. 3). The actuator elements 30A, 31A are formed with corresponding bearing portions 30E. 315 into which such stub shafts 36E, 36F extend for rotatably supporting the drum clamping structure 34. The

ends of the horizontal strap members 38 each having secured thereto one end of a corresponding pair of flexible bands in the form of roller chains 60 which have adjacent ends thereof carrying cooperating manually operable over center clamping devices 42.

A hand-operated hydraulic pump 46 having an operating handle 48A is mounted on the central portion of the U-shaped tubular frame 18 and the pressure line of such pump 48 is connected to the hydraulic pressure lines 50, 51 of actuators 30, 31 for purposes of raising the clamping structure 36 when the pump 68 is operated. When it is desired to lower the clamping structure 34 the pressure in the lines 50, 51 is relieved by opening of valve 54 which then places the lines 50, 51 in communication with the hydraulic fluid system reservoir which in this case is the hollow portion of the tubular frame 18. The suction side pump 48 is in communication with the same reservoir defined by closed tubular frame 18 such that with valve 54 again closed pressure is applied to the actuators 30, 31 to raise the clamping structure 34 when the pump 48 is operated. The reservoir defined by such closed tubular frame is vented to the atmosphere via a conventional vent structure 18E.

The drum clamping structure 34 carries fluid dispensing means 60 in the form of a swivel fitting 61 (FIG. 4) with nttached supply hose 62 and vent hose 63, desiccant chamber or housing 64 with vent structure 65 and a delivery pump 67 which may be operated manually, electrically or hydraulically.

Conventional vent structure is used such as a pressure differential check valve located in the vent line to provide an airtight condition within the vent chamber 64 when the pump 67 is in a static or nonoperating condition.

Fluid filters may be used in both the suction and pressure sides of the pump 67 and each may be a conventional five micron throwaway-type filter. The air or vent filter in chamber 64 may, for example, be a stainless five micron disc-type vent filter installed before the differential check valve in the vent line.

The swivel construction is seen in FIG. 4 wherein the externally threaded nut member 70 has circumferentinlly spaced holes 71 for engagement with a spanner-type wrench whereby the nut member may be threaded into the threaded opening of tank 6 (the tank 8 being inverted from that position shown in FIG. 4 at the time of assembly) with an O-ring type seal 74 being between the tank and the nut member 70. Rotntably supported on such nut member 70 is a fitting 78 having Internally threaded portions 79, 80 adapted to receive elbow type hose connectors 62 and 63 of flexible hoses 63 and 6d respectively. The fitting 78 has a portion of reduced diameter extending through the nut member 70 and is retained thereon by a plate and bolt assembly 85, 66 with an O-ring type seal 63 being recessed in nut member 70 to prevent leakage between the nut member 70 and its swiveliy mounted fitting 78.

An important feature of this arrangement is that drum clamping structure having the fluid dispensing means mounted thereon may not only be raised and lowered on the mobile frame 18 as an assembly but also that such assembly may be rotated from a position shown in FIG. 7 to a position shown in FIG. 2 wherein the fluid from the tank may then be dispensed in controlled amounts while filtering and without contamination.

While the drum is rotatably supported on the vehicle as described the drum may be locked against such rotation by the locking mechanism now described.

This locking mechanism involves a bolt 90 having one of its ends pivoted on the actuator part 30A and a slotted pin 92 extending from that same vertical bar 36 on which shaft 305 is also mounted. This slotted pin 92 serves also as a stop member in the sense that as seen in FIGS. 2 and 7. such pin 92 may engage either the base portion 30M of actuator part 30A or the base portion 30N of part 30A when correspondingly the drum is moved to its inverted dispensing condition shown in FIG. 2 and when such drum is rotated 180 to its upright position shown in FIG. 7. In its dispensing condition shown in FIG. 2 the drum may be locked against rotation by pivoting bolt 90 (FIG. 5) such that it then enters the slotted portion of pin 92 to which it is then clamped by tightening wing nut 94 on its bolt 90.

Thus in operation of the system described, the wheeled vehicle shown in FIG. 6 is moved to partially embrace the drum 8 after which the ends ofthe flexible clamping elements 40 are releasably secured together by the overcenter clamping devices 42 to thereby clamp the drum to the clamping structure having the general reference numeral 34. This clamping structure 34 with the drum 8 clamped thereto is then raised by operating pump 48 to apply fluid under pressure to the pair of hydraulic actuators 30, 31 to thereby raise the drum 8 to the elevated position shown in FIG. 7 where at this time the swivel fitting 61 of fluid dispensing means 60 may be screwed into the drum opening 13. The drum 8 is then rotated from its position shown in FIG. 7 to its position shown in FIG. 2 with the pin 92 being engageable with the actuator portion 30M to limit further rotational movement. The drum 8 may then be locked in that position using the clamping bolt 90 which is movable as illustrated in FIG. 5 to be moved into the slotted portion of pin 92 and be clamped thereto by wing nut 94. The fluid may then be dispensed from the drum by operating the dispensing means 60.

While the particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects lclaim: 1. Apparatus for dispensing fluids from storage containers comprising: a frame, a container clamping structure, a lifting mechanism mounted on said frame, said lifting mechanism having an element movable with respect to said frame, means pivotally mounting said ciamping structure on said clement, said clamping structure including means for securing said container to said clamping structure, liquid dispensing means mounted on said frame and including means whereby the same may be connected to said container, said lifting mechanism being capable of lifting said container secured to said clamping structure a sufficiently high distance to allow the container to be pivoted 2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said frame is generally U-shaped and partially embraces said container and said lifting mechanism comprises a pair oflifting means on up I posite legs of said U-shaped frame.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 in which said pair otlifting means comprises hydraulic actuator, pump means on said frame for pumping fluid to said hydraulic actuator. said frame being hollow and being a reservoir for the hydraulic fluid pump from said pumping means to said hydraulic actuator.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 in which said frame is mounted on three casters two of which are secured to opposite legs of said U-shaped frame and the third caster being secured to the intermediate portion of said U-shaped frame.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said clamping structure comprises a pair of spaced arcuate and horizontally extending bands, a plurality of vertically extending spaced bars between said bands, said means for pivotally mounting said clamping structure comprising stub shafts extending horizontally from a pair of said vertical bars, said element incorporating bearing means for said stub shafts.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 in which said clamping structure incorporates a slotted pin, a bolt pivoted on said actuator element and being movable into the slotted portion of said slotted pin and means on said bolt for securing said bolt to said pin to prevent rotation of said supporting structure.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 in which said slotted pin is engageable with different portions of said element for limiting pivotal movement of said clamping structure in either one of two directions.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim tin which said clamping structure includes means for clamping it generally circular comprises the chassis ofa movable vehicle. 

